August 6th, 2009
I am presently stuck in Lisco because of the chigger infection(s) and bites that I got a few days ago. Two days after I was infested, hundreds of these bites manifested themselves and had the beginnings of looking out of control. The next morning my leg was a little swollen and the bites had spread over the lower half of my body and especially the right leg. Chiggers will continue to burrow, lay larve’ and then do this over and over. By the end of walking 14 miles to Oskosh for the day, I was in need of medical attention. I went to the hospital and saw the doctor and got a cream that is supposed to kill the larve’. The leg was oozing through my pants all day and it was not a pretty site. It looked like I had blisters all up and down my leg. So being hopeful that this would get a hold of the problem, I applied the cream as instructed and the next morning my entire leg was red, swollen and was starting to turn black and blue, but I assumed that this was maybe part of the healing process and walked 16 miles to my next location, but my pants were soaked from these hundreds of blisters bleeding. I got to my destination and went back to the hospital (16 miles back), and the doctor wasn’t there but the very senior PA looked at it and said that she has never seen anything this bad in her entire career, and she had to be almost 70. She said that I had an allergic reaction to the medication and now I have a staff infection that is spreading and they are
concerned about being able to stop it. They gave me a steriod shot and some anti-biotics and said not to go anywhere for at least the next 48 hours and if it gets worse to come back immediately. Well from the time that I got the medication and when I got to the motel to take a shower to put my leg up (because it was so swollen), put some ice on it and baking soda packs on it, the oozing and black and blue was spreading rapidly. Well I am writing this the next day and it was just a mess all night long last night but the leg looks like it hasn’t spread, but hasn’t gotten any better either and so I think that I am making some progress.
So…. If you are a praying person, I would ask that you include me in those prayers. I want to be able to finish this trek, but at the moment, I want to make sure that I remain on this earth to do so. Staph can be, and is a very serious infection and can become fatal, so I am focusing for the moment on my health and taking it day by day to see if I can finish the trek. I am having my brother put on one of the earlier photos of the infection but when I get the opportunity, I will put on the advanced photo so you can get an understanding of what you are praying to help heal. I know that prayer works. I know that my Father in Heaven is very aware of my situation and I will hope that all will be well.